Technovelty : A Blog Day Afternoon

Posted on April 19, 2003 at 8:15 pm | No Comments

Sitting on a bench on the Harvard-side bank of the Charles River, typing on a Targus keyboard attached to a Compaq iPaq. It’s late on a brisk early-spring afternoon, and there’s not a cloud for miles … the bright sun paints a brilliant white path across the river, straight onto my face.

It’s 50 degrees but the wind is forgiving today. The joggers fly by, perhaps their final run before Monday’s marathon, thinking ahead to carbo-loads and clapping curbside crowds. Fratboys in blue canvas baseball hats arrive in JFK park for a game of ultimate frisbee, probably pumped up by this afternoon’s Red Sox win at Fenway.

Never underestimate the value of a change in perspective. Get up, get out, get moving. Go somewhere you’ve never been, even if it’s in the same town. Enough of the same rooms, the same cubes, the same hallways… the same streets, the same drive to work, the same place for lunch, the same smoky rock club.

It feels good to be typing from here, although it is a bit awkward with only my knees on which to rest the keyboard. As the wind picks up slightly, and the hour grows later, I’m thinking this setup would look good sitting on top of a dark oak bar, with me on a sturdy stool in front of it. Time to get moving…

Ok, so maybe it’s a little early in the evening for a bar… but it’s the perfect time for a table at the 1369 coffeehouse. Interpol comes from the speakers overhead, as if playing just for me. The front is crowded with conversationalists, the rear with solo students, one person and one laptop per table. Does my little handheld setup make me cooler, or even more of a geek? Both, I think.

I hadn’t planned on ever mobile blogging, really. This iPaq appeared on my desk at work one day, ostensibly a tool for wandering the building and detecting unauthorized wireless access points (and administering an appropriate smackdown, of course). I’ve only ever found a wide-open cable modem that must have been in a condo in back of our building. Secretly surfing the web on that was fun for about 2 minutes.

6 months later my boss lays this compact keyboard on me, and I’m off and running. Wandering Boston, all teched out, taking in the world, throwing down words.

I could get used to this.

One large coffee and one short walk later and I’m sitting in the front window table at River Gods, listening to Bonnie Prince Billy on the stereo, nursing a Sierra, reading Kavalier & Clay. The bartender notices and can’t help but comment on just how amazing the book is. “Totally deserving of the Pulitzer.” Four chapters in and I already agree.

As a matter of fact, it’s time to get back to it, I think. Chapter five and Sierra number two are waiting for me.

Heads Up : Teddy Leo & Mo Rocca at Tufts

Posted on April 18, 2003 at 4:17 pm | No Comments

No, they’re not appearing together, as cool as that would be.

Tufts University has a history of keeping their events to themselves, and who can blame them, really. Too many times I’ve heard about cool goings on in the past tense… things I either just missed, or couldn’t have gotten into anyway due to the occasional ‘student-only’ admission policy.

I got lucky this time, though. Thanks to Mari Anne, I just found out that Mr. Ted Leo will be making a solo appearance at Tufts’ Carmichael Hall this Sunday (yes, that’s the day after tomorrow, kids… whew!). The show starts at 8 o’clock, with the New Idea Society and Kristin Forbes opening up. And get this… it’s open to the public, and it’s free. Can’t pass that one up, now, can you? Want more details? Go here.

Not only do we get the near-instant gratification of an under-publicized Ted show, but next Thursday night brings Daily Show senior political correspondent Mo Rocca to Tufts’ Barnum Hall. Apparantly he’ll be giving a “multimedia presentation about current events.” In other words, he will be bringing the funny. From the event listing: “Emmy and Peabody winning Mo Rocca was named to Rolling Stone’s People of the Year in 2000. Has been on NPR, CNN, and FoxNews, and has written for GQ, Elle, Newsweek.com and the Washington Post.” This is not to be missed. No word yet on non-students getting in, but I’m working on it. (Update: It’s open to the public… and it’s freakin’ free.)